From: William Rendfeld (warendfeld@aol.com) Subject: [PW!] Decisions Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon Date: 2003-11-13 16:01:05 PST Decisions Within the confines of a small room within the Cherrygrove Pokémon Center, Nadyra the Chikorita silently slept upon a large easy chair. The sound of running water could be heard from a nearby room, but that sound was quickly silenced. Nadyra's eyes opened, and the small Chikorita turned towards the bathroom door. It soon opened to reveal a towel-clad Pokémon trainer of rather obvious proportions by the name of Alexandria Masters. As Alex continued wiping her eyes with a washcloth, Nadyra chirped, "Chika! Chika chika!" "I'm happy to see you too, Nadyra," Alex replied with a slight smile. The smile was short-lived as she remembered yesterday's events, as well as her clash with a rival trainer, Jason Cassidy. "Talk about not having much of a foundation." "Chika?" Nadyra asked, her head turned like that of a curious puppy. Alex shook her head and replied, "Nevermind. Just let me get dried and dressed, and we'll get the boys and some breakfast." With a sigh, she then added, "I'll worry about Jason afterwards." - "Your Pokémon have fully recovered," Cherrygrove's local Nurse Joy said, returning the two Poké Balls containing Surtur the Combusken and Daraxis the Squirtle. "Thank you," Alex replied with a slightly saddened voice. She stood before the polite nurse in her normal attire, Nadyra on her right shoulder. "Still taking what happened yesterday pretty hard, huh?" Nurse Joy asked. "You could say that," Alex replied. "It isn't that I lost. I didn't expect to win every battle I had out here. It's that I was beaten so...off-handedly, like he knew from the start that I'd lose." She looked directly at Nurse Joy and asked, "How could someone be like that?" "I'm not sure I can answer that question," Nurse Joy replied. "No one can really say why one person is one way and another person is another, just that some things are beyond our control." With a reassuring smile, she replied, "But look at it this way. You had the wisdom to back away before your Pokémon were critically injured. From the looks of things, you seem to be the better trainer. A hard trainer will raise hard Pokémon, but a gentle and fair one will raise real champions. From the way you act and speak, you look like a real champion." Alex smiled, then asked, "Are all the Nurse Joys in Johto as wise as you?" With a sweatdrop, the nurse humbly replied, "That's a matter of opinion." Shaking her own head to alleviate her own thoughts, she quickly pulled out a small slip of paper and said, "Here, take this. It's a waiver for the restaurant here at the Center. I have a feeling after a good breakfast for yourself and your Pokémon, you'll feel better." Alex could already hear the faint rumblings of her stomach, and replied, "You may just be right." She took the waiver and said, "Thank you." "Chikori," Nadyra added in a polite tone, bowing her head slightly for emphasis. - Within a few short minutes, Alex found herself within the Center's attached restaurant. After quickly looking over the menu and choosing a meal, she silently waited for the waiter. One quickly arrived and asked, "Are you ready to order, miss?" "Yes," Alex answered. "For myself, I'd like a large order of pancakes with sausages on the side, a large glass of milk, and an order of toast. I'd also like a large bowl of Poké-Chow for my Pokémon." The waiter looked at her in surprise, then said, "That's a very large order." "I have a very healthy metabolism," Alex replied. The waiter shrugged, then said, "Fine then. Your meal will be ready in a few minutes." "Thank you," Alex replied. The waiter then walked over to another customer, leaving Alex alone with her thoughts and Nadyra. After a couple seconds, she brought out her other two occupied Poké Balls and opened them. Surtur and Daraxis soon materialized on the ground. Both looked around, then up to Alex. (It would seem the battle did not go as smoothly as hoped,) Surtur noted. "That's putting it mildly," Alex replied as the two climbed up into the opposite seats. "Guys, I've been thinking about things a lot since yesterday." (Do not tell me you have thought of abandoning this altogether,) Surtur said. "Okay, I won't tell you," Alex replied. "I want to continue on, but not if that means losing you guys. If you want to quit now, I'll understand." Daraxis jumped up with an indignant "Squirtle!" and quickly shook his head. He then added defiantly, "Squirt squirt squirtle! Alex looked at him, a perplexed expression on her face, until Surtur explained, (What Daraxis means is, I believe he wants another crack at that Houndour. As for myself, I feel the same. I also wish to avenge myself.) The small chicken-like Pokémon looked to his trainer and noted, (You cannot get rid of us that easily.) Alex looked to her Pokémon, and smiled. "Thanks guys." - After eating an immense breakfast (and using up the waiver in the process), Alex returned Daraxis and Nadyra to their Poké Balls, retrieved her things, and with Surtur at her side left the Center and made her way towards the edge of town. "Okay, let's see..." Alex noted as she consulted her PokéNav. "According to the map, Violet City should be three day's travel northeast of here." (You are continuing with your journey then,) Surtur noted. (I am relieved.) "Of course I'm continuing," Alex replied. "I can't just dwell on one defeat for all time. Look what happened to Katsumi Liqueur when she dwelled on her losses." Surtur looked at her with a perplexed look on his face. "Nevermind, long story," Alex said, brushing it off. "Anyway, we'll continue onward. However, every time we come across a trainer willing to battle, we'll battle. We need all the experience we can get, not just for Falkner, but for battling Jason the next time we see him." With a determined look upon her face, Alex said, "And next time, we kick his butt." With a slight smile, Surtur noted, (Now you sound like yourself again.) Alex turned to her companion and said, "A little wisdom and thought goes a long way." Facing to the north, she then declared, "But enough of that, let's go! Onward, to Violet City!" Alex then rushed off, a smile on her face and laughter coming from her mouth, as Surtur followed behind thinking, _Here we go again._ William Rendfeld Creator of Echowarrior, the Pokémon Resistance, and Alex Masters 178,000 Excellent Author Points 1 'I knew odd pokefacts that confused a bread crumb' point. 20 Y2Tech Points